Cameron must come clean on Heathrow expansion

12.00.00pm BST (GMT +0100) Thu 10th Apr 2008

Liberal Democrats united against any further Heathrow expansion. Brian Paddick and party president Simon Hughes join Stephen Knight, Susan Kramer MP, Feltham and Heston campaigner Munira Wilson and Hounslow Lib Dem leader Andrew Dakers.

As David Cameron visits Richmond today in an attempt head off a strong Liberal Democrat challenge to his local London Assembly Member, his party is still trying to have it both ways on Heathrow expansion. Local Tories claim they are opposed to expansion whilst he and his transport team are busy telling the City that they are ready to give expansion the go-ahead.

The Conservative Shadow Transport Secretary, Theresa Villiers MP, has said: "We recognise that the economic arguments for expanding Heathrow are much stronger than any other airport in the South East". The Party's economic policy report says: "We recommend that an incoming Conservative government's priority should be the strengthening of London's, and Britain's, main air transport hub at Heathrow".

Cameron himself has failed to rule out expansion, saying that plans for a third runway and sixth terminal "should go through the planning system in the proper way". He has also told City business leaders that he would be ready to give the go-ahead once certain environmental "tests" have been met.

Liberal Democrat London Assembly candidate for South West London, Cllr Stephen Knight said:

"Heathrow already blights the lives of thousands of residents in South West London. What local people want to hear is an unambiguous 'no' to any further expansion of the airport, not some sort of blue-green spin that fudges the issue so that he can keep in with his pro-expansion friends in the City.

"The Liberal Democrats remain the only major party unambiguously opposed to any further expansion of the airport."